Freight restraining bar

ABSTRACT

A FREIGHT-RESTRAINING BAR AND HEAD WHEREIN A SINGLE RAIL-ENGAGING MEMBER IS USED TO CONNECT THE HEAD WITH TWO DIFFERENT, ALTERNATIVELY USED, SECURING MEANS IN THE FREIGHT CHAMBER. THE RAIL-ENGAGING MEMBER IS PIVOTED TO ROTATE BETWEEN THE TWO POSITIONS IT MUST TAKE TO PENETRATE THE TWO DIFFERENTIALLY ORIENTED SECURING MEANS. LOCKING PROVISIONS ARE PROVIDED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DISLODGING OF THE HEADS, ONCE ENGAGED.   D R A W I N G

March 20, 1973 n. SCHMIDT 3,721,200

FREIGHT RESTRAINING BAR Filed April 2, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dana M. Schmidi INVENTOR Dana M. $chmidf Y George E. Verhage John Kennefh Wise ATTORNEYS March 20, 1973 o. M. SCHMIDT FREIGHT RESTRAINIING BAR Filed April 2, 1971. 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Fig. 4

Dana M. Schmidt INVENTOR Dana M. Schmidt George E. Verhage John Kenneth Wise ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,721,200 FREIGHT RESTRAINING BAR Dana M. Schmidt, Barrington, Ill., assignor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, Ill. Filed Apr. 2, 1971, Ser. No. 130,675 Int. Cl. B61d 45/00; B6011 7/16 U.S. Cl. 105-369 B 25 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A freight-restraining bar and head wherein a single rail-engaging member is used to connect the head with two different, alternatively used, securing means in the freight chamber. The rail-engaging member is pivoted to rotate between the two positions it must take to penetrate the two differentially oriented securing means. Locking provisions are provided to prevent accidental dislodging of the heads, once engaged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the shipment of freight there has long been the need for restraints to hold the freight from movement in the chamber carrying the freight, during transit. Conventionally, this is most commonly accomplished by the use of rigid restraining bars which are clamped to, or engaged by, securing rails attached to the walls of the chamber, such as a freight car. In the railroad industry, the ends of the bars which accomplish this engagement are called heads, and many attempts have been made to design an adequate head. Difficulties in these designs arise from the fact that the various different railroads have different types of securing rails totally lacking in uniformity. Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 79,583 filed Oct. 9, 1970, entitled Cargo Restraining Bar, now abandoned and refiled as Ser. No. 255,872 on May 9', 1972, having a common assignee with the instant application, depicts a number of such rails. Until relatively recently, the approach to this nonuniformity was to provide a different head for each different type of rail. At the railroad loading yards, these heads and their bars often are stored with others of different types, the resulting mixture creating search problems when still another different type of freight car has to be loaded.

Thus there has long been a need for a so-called universal head for use in most, if not all, railroad freight restraining bars. Because of the nonuniformity of the rails, attempts to provide such a head in the past have resulted in rather bizarre and complicated structures. Such complicated structure is expensive to manufacture and difficult to use. One example of such structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,826. More recently, simplification has been provided by the head disclosed in the aforesaid patent application, wherein two simplified, albeit separate, means are used to engage either a vertically-faced rail or a horizontally-faced rail. As most rails are so structured, universality is thus achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This application concerns a freight restraining bar and the heads for the bar wherein the same engaging member is utilized to engage two different types of rails. More specifically, there is provided a freight restraining bar having a head for connecting the bar to either of at least two different, alternatively used securing means mounted as part of the wall of a freight chamber, the head comprising an engaging member for removably engaging the head with either one of the securing means, and means for alternatively and removably positioning that same engaging member within the head so as to permit the Patented Mar. 20; I973 'ice engaging member to engage either of the securing means, depending upon which one is used in that freight chamber. A convenient construction is a pivotal mounting of a single spring-biased pin so as to pivot it substantially within the head, thus permitting engagement with either a horizontally-faced rail or a vertically-faced rail.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a freight restraining bar and head capable of engaging most of the securing rails used in freight chamber, by the manipulation of the same member in the head in each case.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a bar and head which will be usable on the majority of freight cars provided by the various railroads in the shipment of freight.

It is a related object of the invention to provide such a bar and head wherein the engagement with the different rails requires the manipulation of only a single engaging pm.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a bar and head wherein the construction insures that the engaging member will be locked in engagement until removal is desired.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the following drawings and detailed discussion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of one end of a freight car utilizing the railroad restraining bar of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, somewhat schematic perspective view of a bar and head constructed in accordance with-the invention, about to connect to one type of rail;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the bar and rail shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating the bar and head as they are used on a different type of securing rail;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken generally along the line VIVI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end view partly in section, similar to FIG. 6 but illustrating a different embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As used throughout this application, horizontal, vertical, upwardly, downwardly, and outwardly means orientations of the element in question during actual use of the freight-restraining member to restrain shipped freight.

The invention relates to an improved freight-restraining member for securely holding cargo in transporting vehicles such as railroad cars. More specifically, referring to FIG. 1, the invention is shown as a means of restraining boxed cargo 10 from movement within a railroad freight car chamber 20 comprising a floor 22, two generally vertical walls 24 and 26, and a ceiling (not shown). The restraining members 40 are positioned strategically at the top and bottom of the cargo and engage securing means 30 mounted along or as part of the walls 24 and 26. Conventionally, the securing means 30' comprise rails with generally circular holes 32 therein, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 rails 30 are of the type which have a generally vertically oriented cross-section. The holes. 32 are in a vertical face 34 thereof, the center lines of the holes 32 extending substantially horizontally. A completely equivalent construction utilizes a freight chamber wherein the walls themselves are perforated, thus avoiding the need for the attachment of securing rails 30 thereto. However, both the perforated wall and the vertically-faced rails 30 are to be contrasted with other different rails, such as horizontally faced rails, which are alternatively used to the exclusion of rails 30 in other freight chambers, generally those owned by other railroad lines.

Turning now particularly to FIGS. 2-4, the restraining members 40 comprise a restraining portion or bar 42 which is generally hollow, a rail-engaging head 50 at either end of the bar 42, and conventionally the member 40 includes means such as a compression spring 44 biasing at least one of the heads by pressing the tail 52 of the head outwardly away from the bar. This latter relationship is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. The bar 42 is provided with generally flat freight-abutting surfaces 46, and conveniently the bar 42 is constructed with at least one order of symmetry about a central axis 48 (FIG. 4).

In accordance with one aspect of of the invention, each head '50 comprises the tail portion 52, a frame portion 54, a saddle stop portion 56 (FIG. 4), a locking flange 74, a pivotally-mounted rail-engaging member 80, and a locking pin 100. The tail portion 52 conveniently is machined or otherwise formed to have an I-bar configuration, as shown in FIG. 5. The frame portion 54 is generally cubical in shape, except where especially formed as hereafter described, and is integrally connected to the tail portion by a neck 55.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the saddle stop portion 56 comprises a generally horizontal stop shoulder 58 centrally formed within the frame portion 54 and opening upwardly, and an adjacent vertical stop shoulder 60 also centrally formed and opening outwardly. The remaining part of the frame portion 54 comprises upstanding sides 62 and 63 which terminate in the extreme outer end surfaces 64 of the head 50. To removably alter the positioning of the rail-engaging member 80, these sides 62 and 63 are provided with co-axial, generally circular openings 66 which are drilled, machined, or otherwise formed therein, for pivotally accommodating the rail-engaging member as described below. A smaller hole 68 is also drilled at the top of side 63 for the locking pin, also hereinafter described (see FIG. 6). The extreme end surfaces 64 of the sides 62 and 63 are formed with a groove 70 (FIG. 4), shaped as a portion of an arc, to accommodate the movements of the handle of the rail-engaging member.

Depending from the bottom of the frame portion 54 is looking flange 74, which extends generally horizontally and is spaced from the frame portion a distance sufiicient to accommodate a horizontally faced rail, as described hereinafter.

Turning now to the rail-engaging member 80, this comprises a pivotal mounting member 82 which is conveniently cast or machined as a round pin solid at one end 84 and open at the other end 86 (FIG. 3). The opening in end 86 comprises a hole 87 centrally formed therein extending approximately half-way back of the mounting member 82. Further, the member 80 includes two pivot pins 88 and 90 preferably welded to the solid end 84 and extending generally horizontally therefrom (FIG. 6), a single rail-engaging pin 92, and a compression spring 94 biasing the pin 92 outwardly from the mounting member. A handle pin 96 conveniently is inserted through the engaging pin 92, and to permit the handle pin to be with drawn relative to the mounting member 82, openings 98 (FIG. 3) are formed in the latter. The engaging pin 92 bears generally the same cross-sectional circular shape and a size slightly smaller than, that of the holes 32 in the rail 30 into which the pin is to be inserted.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4, it will be apparent that, to engage the rail 30, the head 50 is operated by pivoting the engaging member 80 on its pivot pins 88 and 90 until the mounting member 82 stops with its end 84 abutting against the stop shoulder 58. In this position, the member 80 is angularly oriented so as to line up the pin 92 with the center line of the holes 32 of the rail,

permitting insertion therein. To complete the engagement, the end 86 of the mounting member rests against the vertical exposed face 34, being biased thereagainst by the action of spring 44. The spring 94 serves to bias the pin 92 outwardly towards the rail 30 and wall, thus maintaining pin 92 in engagement with the rail 30. To disengage the head, handle pin 96 and pin 92 are simply pulled back against the bias of the spring 94.

The rail-engaging member is held in its generally horizontal, angular position as shown in FIG. 4 by means of the locking pin 100, the pin itself being shown in greater detail in FIG. 6. A ring 102 is mounted in the head of the pin for easy handling, and a chain (not shown) may permanently attach the pin 100 to the head to prevent loss when the pin is disengaged. To permit the pin 100 to penetrate in a locking manner the pivot pin 88, the latter is drilled with two perpendicularly oriented holes 104 and 106 (FIGS. 5 and 6). Hole 104 is perpendicular to the axis of engaging pin 92, and accordingly it encompasses pin 100 when the latter is inserted into the pivot pin 88 to lock member 80 in the generally horizontal position shown in FIG. 4. Hole 106 is used to lock mem ber 80 in the other, generally vertical position described hereafter in connection with FIG. 6.

As shown, the stop preventing improper rotation of the mounting member 82 beyond the two positions wherein the pin 92 is operable to engage either of the two rails, comprises the stop shoulders 58 and 60. The construction of the head 50 has dispensed with a separate hook for locking onto the vertically faced rail 30. Since the pivot pins 88 and are between the stop shoulders and the extreme end surface 64 of the head 50 beyond which pin 92 extends as shown in FIG. 4, it is necessary that forces causing the restraining bar 40 to rotate about pin 92 be stabilized, as otherwise mounting member 82 would tend to rotate clockwise (FIG. 4) out of its horizontal position. For this reason, the pivot pins 88 and 90 must be mounted with their pivot axes lying no lower than a horizontal plane extending through the central axis 48. In this arrangement, any moment of force due to horizontal load forces acting on the freight restraining portion 42 also tend to lock the mounting member 82 in its position in FIG. 4 with end 84 against shoulder 58, thus preventing accidental disengagement of the pin 92 from the rail.

Elimination of this moment of force will even further reduce the risk of twisting of the bar to the point at which clockwise rotation of member 80 (FIG. 4) causes it to disconnect from the rails. To this end, pivot pins 88 and 90 are preferably, but not exclusively, mounted with their pivot axes lying in the above described horizontal plane. This provides the further advantage of reducing the length of pin 92 which otherwise would be needed.

It will be readily appreciated that an equivalent construction can be provided by pivoting the mounting member 82 so that the shoulder 58 is downwardly directed and positioned between the pivot pins and the end surface 64. In that case, the pivot axes of the pins 88 and 90 must not be any higher than the horizontal plane through the axis 48.

Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6, an alternative form of the wall securing means is illustrated, which form is characterized by having its operative face horizontally oriented. Parts similar to those previously described bear the same reference numeral to which the distinguishing sufiix a has been added. Thus rail 30a which is part of the chamber walls is characterized by an angle of which its operative face 34a is horizontal and directed upward. Holes 32a, therefore, have center lines which extend generally vertically (not shown). Therefore, the center lines of holes 32a define an angle of substantially 90 with respect to the generally horizontal orientation of the center lines of holes 32 in rail 30. It is this vertical orientation of holes 32a with which mounting member 52 and pin 92 must be colinear, if the head 50 is to engage the rail 30a. This is accomplished from the horizontal orientation illustrated in FIG. 4 in the following manner. Locking pin 100 is removed, and pin 92 disengaged from rail 30. If the restraining member 40 is to be transferred to a freight car provided with rails 30a, then prior to attempting engagement therewith the mounting member 82 is pivoted substantially 90 upon its pivot pins 88 and 90. Stop shoulder 60 prevents the pivoting rotation from carrying the member 82 and the pin 92 beyond a generally vertical position (FIG. 5). The handle pin 16 moves into the groove 74, which is cut sufiiciently wide to permit the handle pin to reciprocate within the member 82. When engaging pin 92 is lined up with the desired hole 32a, handle pin 96 is released (FIG. 5) and spring 94 biases the pin 92 downwardly towards the floor and the rail 30a. The horizontally extending rail 30a is thus engaged within the space defined by the flange 74 and the bottom of frame portion 54, the flange extending under the rail. Flange 74 serves to resist any unlocking rotation of the restraining member 40 which might be caused by load forces acting against the bar 42. The final locking of the member 40 and the head 50 in the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is accomplished by inserting pin 100 into the side 63 and through the hole 106 in the pivot pin 88.

It will be appreciated that an equivalent construction of rail 30a is one in which it is an integral, unitary part of the chamber walls, face 34a constituting the upwardlydirected side of a shoulder projecting integrally from the wall.

Thus, the above-described structure results in the same mounting member 82 and a single engaging pin 92 being used to engage two different, alternatively used, securing rails 30 and 30a, by pivoting the mounting member 82 between its two operative positions. A further advantage of the above construction is that, when member 82 is in the angular position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, there is no portion of the head 50 which projects down far enough as to interfere with outwardly projecting portions of rail 30a which commonly exist at freight car door openings.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment which permits the so-called pitch splitting function. Parts similar to those previously described bear the same reference numeral to which the distinguishing sufiix b is applied. Thus, the head 50b is identical with previous construction except that it is not symmetrical about the center axis of the restraining bar. Rather, it can be described as being right-handed as its right (as seen looking outwardly away from end surface 64b) side 63b is thicker than side 62b, pivot pins 88b and 90b being adjusted in length accordingly. The precise amount of greater thickness is that which positions engaging pin 92b so as to fall half-way between holes 32a from the position pin 92 would take if mounted as in FIG. 6. Thus, with the head at the other end of member 40b (not shown) being a left-handed head, if the load is not tightly held when the pin 92b is positioned in the last possible hole 32b given the load configuration, the restraining member 40 need only be rotated 180 and the pitch split will permit a snug fit of the bar 42b against the load. Pins 96b and 10012 function exactly as in the previous embodiment.

All of the embodiments described above, and particularly pin 92, are preferably constructed from high strength metal, such as steel. Particular processing details will be readily apparent to the skilled metal worker from the given construction design.

Although the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is not intended that it be limited thereto. For example, it is not limited to railroad cars but can be applied to any freight-canying vehicle having two different wall securing means for restraining the freight. Thus, it is intended that the invention cover all alternatives, equivalent arrangements and embodiments as may be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A head especially adapted for use with a freightrestraining member spanning a freight chamber and to removably connect the member to either of two different alternative securing means either of which may be positioned as part of the walls of the chamber to the exclusion of the other, said head comprising an engaging member for removably engaging said head with either one of the securing means and means for alternatively and removably positioning said engaging member in two different positions within said head to permit said engaging member to engage either of the securing means, whereby said head and the freight-restraining member may be connected to the chamber Walls regardless which of the two different securing means is present in the chamber.

2. In combination with either of two different alternative securing means either of which may be positioned as part of the walls of a freight chamber to the exclusion of the other, the head as defined in claim 1, wherein the different securing means comprise portions of the walls having holes therein, each of the two different means being characterized by the center lines of said holes being oriented at an angle with respect to the center lines of the holes of the other alternative securing means, and wherein said engaging member is pivotally mounted in said head for rotation through said angle defined by the different orientations of said center lines.

3. The head as defined in claim 2, wherein said angle is substantially 4. The head as defined in claim 3, wherein one of said different securing means comprises a portion of the wall having substantially horizontally oriented holes in a vertical face, and the alternative securing means comprises a portion of the wall having substantially vertically oriented holes in a substantially horizontally oriented shoulder, and wherein said angle extends from a substantially horizontal plane to a substantially vertical plane.

5. The head as defined in claim 2, and further including stop means for preventing said engaging member from being positioned beyond those positions in which said engaging member may be removably engaged with either of said securing means.

6. The head as defined in claim 5, wherein the freightrestraining member includes a freight engaging portion having a central axis therethrough, said stop means includes a shoulder, and said engaging member includes at least one pivot pin extending therefrom between said shoulder and the extreme outer end of said head, said pivot pin being horizontally mounted within said head no lower than in a horizontal plane extending through the central axis of the freight-restraining portion.

7. The head as defined in claim 6, wherein said pivot pin lies With its pivot axis substantially within said horizontal plane, whereby horizontally-directed forces against the freight-restraining portion create essentially no moment of force tending to rotate the freight holding member about said engaging member.

8. The head as defined in claim 7, and further including a single locking pin and means for securing said locking pin Within'said pivot pin to lock the same in either of its two positions defined by the limits of said angle.

9. The head as defined in claim 1, wherein said engaging member is characterized by a single pin and means for pivotably mounting said pin in .said head for movement from a position wherein said pin is engageable with one of said alternative securing means, to a position wherein said pin is engageable with the other of said securing means.

10. The head as defined in claim 9, and further including means for biasing said pin either outwardly or downwardly toward one of the securing means, as determined by which of said positions is occupied by said pin, whereby said pin can be retracted against said biasing means away from the one securing means.

11. The head as defined in claim 1, and further including a single locking pin and means for securing said locking pin within said engaging member in either of its positions in which said engaging member may be connected to either of the two different securing means.

12. A head especially adapted for use in a freight-restraining member spanning a freight chamber and to removably connect the member to either of two different alternative securing means either of which may be used as part of the walls of the chamber to the exclusion of the other, said head comprising an engaging member characterized by a single pin, and means for pivotably mounting said pin in said head for movement from a position wherein said pin is engageable with one of said alternative securing means, to a position wherein said pin is engageable with the other of the securing means, whereby said head and the freight-restraining member may be connected to the chamber walls regardless which of the two different securing means is present in said chamber,

13. The head as defined in claim 12, wherein said engaging member includes at least one pivot pin extending therefrom and further including in said head a support shoulder positioned with said pivot pin between the shoulder and the extreme securing means-engaging end of said head, said shoulder defining one of said positions and being located such that a portion of said engaging member rests thereupon when said single pin is in said one position.

14. The head as defined in claim 13, wherein said freight-restraining portion has a central axis therethrough, said pivot pin being horizontally mounted within said head no lower than in a horizontal plane extending through said central axis.

15. The head as defined in claim 12, and further including means for biasing said pin either outwardly or downwardly towards one of the securing means, as determined by which of said positions is occupied by said pin, whereby said pin can be retracted against said biasing means away from the one securing means.

16. The head as defined in claim 15, wherein said pin and said biasing means are movably contained at least partially by a mounting member, said mounting member being pivotally mounted within said head by a pair of pivot pins integrally extending therefrom which penetrate into at least a portion of said head, and further including a stop for preventing said mounting member from pivoting beyond at least one of said positions.

17. The head as defined in claim 16, and further including a single locking pin and means for securing said locking pin within one of said pivot pins when said single pin is in either of said positions.

18. The head as defined in claim 12, and further including stop means for preventing said pin from being moved beyond either of said positions.

19. In a freight-restraining member adapted to span a freight chamber and to restrain freight therewithin, the chamber having either of two diiferent alternative securing means either of which may be positioned as part of the walls of the chamber to the exclusion of the other, the member including a freight-restraining portion and at least one head, the improvement comprising said head being characterized by an engaging member for removably engaging said head with either one of the securing means, and means for alternatively and removably positioning said member in two dilferent positions within said head to permit said engaging member to engage either of the securing means whereby said head and said freightrestraining member may be connected to the chamber walls regardless which of the two different securing means is present in the chamber.

20. In combination with either of two different alternative securing means either of which may be positioned as part of the walls of the chamber to the exclusion of the other, the improved freight-restraining member as defined in claim 19, wherein the different securing means comprise portions of the walls having holes therein, each of the two different means being characterized by the center lines of said holes oriented at an angle with respect to the center lines of the holes of the other alternative securing means, and wherein said engaging member is piv-' otally mounted in said head for rotation through said angle defined by the different orientations of said center lines.

21. The improved freight-restraining member as defined in claim 20, and further including stop means for preventing said engaging member from being positioned beyond those positions in which said engaging member may be removably engaged with either of said securing means.

22. The improved freight-restraining member as defined in claim 21, wherein said freight engaging portion has a central axis therethrough, said stop means includes a shoulder, and said engaging member includes at least one pivot pin extending therefrom between said shoulder and the extreme outer end of said head, said pivot pin being horizontally mounted within said head no lower than in a horizontal plane extending through the central axis of the freight-restraining portion.

23. The improved freight-restraining member as defined in claim 19, wherein said engaging member is characterized by a single pin and means for pivotably mounting said pin in said head for movement from a position wherein said pin is engageable with one of said alternative securing means, to a position wherein said pin is engageable with the other of said securing means.

24. The improved freight-restraining member as defined in claim 19, and further including a single locking pin and means for securing said locking pin within said engaging member in either of its positions in which said engaging member may be connected to either of the two different securing means.

25. In a freight-restraining member adapted to span a freight chamber and to restrain freight therewithin, the chamber having either of two different alternative securing means either of which may be positioned as part of the walls of the chamber to the exclusion of the other, the member including a freight-restraining portion and at least one head, the improvement comprising said head being characterized by a single pin and means for pivotably mounting said pin in said head for movement from a position wherein said pin is engageable with one of the alternative securing means, to a position wherein said pin is engageable with the other of the securing means, whereby said head and said freight-restraining member may be connected to the chamber walls regardless which of the two diiferent securing means is present in the chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,554,136 1/1971 Falk l05369 B 3,367,615 2/1968 Turpen 369 A DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner 

